16 May 2008
interview
Ugandan journalists put Akon on the spot during his visit to Uganda last week. Rafsanjan Abbey Tatya compiled the excerpts.
Do you have any problem with Africa because you have failed to perform twice here in Africa? And do you have any problem with journalists because you refused to speak to them when you arrived at the airport yesterday?
I'm African. Why would I have a problem with Africa when I'm an African? That doesn't make any sense to me.
Do you understand that everything I'm doing, I'm doing it for Africa? Secondly you asked, do I have any problem with journalists? Yes. I have a big problem with journalists. For you to stand in front of my face right now and tell me I have a problem with Africa shows that you don't do your research before you ask questions.
I would really appreciate if journalists get the facts first before they put news out in the media. Because when you put out bad news on me the image of Africa looks bad because in the US and Europe when they see me they see Africa. If you have the only African artiste to ever out-sale every American artiste, the number one in the world and I happen to be an African, they don't like that. The more you destroy me, every African artiste that has a dream of making it in the US, the dream is over.
Are you a ghetto boy like we are?
I was raised in Senegal. My mum and father made sure that I was born in the US so that we couldn't face immigration problems. We went to Senegal to learn about our culture. When I got about nine or 10 they sent us back to US to finish school and every summer we would come back to Senegal. But in Senegal I didn't have it good I struggled like anybody else here. That's why I appreciate everything that has happened to me now. And that's why I work so hard.
What is the meaning behind the word Konvict?
Konvict represents the struggle. The whole concept came from when I got locked up. That was a turning point in my life. When I got in there, I started to realise, man, I made so many stupid and dumb decisions that didn't make no sense. So whenever you hear jails crank in any of my songs, that's a reminder of where I don't want to return to. Konvict represents more of the struggle and more of the freedom.
Many celebrities have come to support Obama; do you also support him and if so why haven't you come out publicly like Oprah?
That is the decision I had to make. I have wanted to come out and support Obama but right now I'm under media attack and they would use that against Obama. If I endorse Obama even if I do it in a positive way the media is going to twist it and say well, Obama has been endorsed by a convict. He has been endorsed by someone who has been to jail. So it's to Obama's benefit for me to support him the way I'm supporting now without going on TV.
There were a few controversial statements in the media about you and polygamy, what are your views about that?
And that was the time I dropped my album. I needed a little bit of controversy. A lot of people who never knew who Akon was went on the Internet and said wow, Akon has seven wives. I don't tell this story to everybody because I trust Africa and I know that it won't go past this room. Right? This was a big joke to create hype. Honestly, my father has four wives. I haven't exercised those rights yet. But I do have four girlfriends that I call my wifeys. In US, the word wifey is like another word for your girlfriend. She is like a little more serious than a girlfriend, but she is not quite your wife, she is a wifey. You know someone who has the intentions of becoming your wife. So when I say I have four wifeys, they say Akon has four wives. What I have is one wife and three wifeys but as I get older, I promise I'll have to exercise those rights and have more than one wife.
How do we believe you are the one and not an impostor?
You see how much I've got to do for people to believe me? Nobody still believes we are here yet we are here. That is amazing, I'm standing right here.
What went wrong with the Kenya concert?
That show in Kenya has been put together for a long time. Unfortunately the first time it was being put together, I was on a tour so we tried to figure out how we could jump off the tour and go to Kenya. But unfortunately the war (election violence) started and there was no airline to fly us into and out of Kenya. It was Virgin (Atlantic) that could fly us there but the problem was that it could take us 23 hours to get to Kenya and back which would mean a fault on the other contract that I had prior to theirs so we had to reschedule again.
Is there any chance that you will perform in Kenya?
Yeah, we're trying to work it out. Actually, we wanted to go to Kenya from Uganda but again the promoter couldn't put it together so we're still figuring out how we are going to make it happen. We are right next door there is no reason why we can't go to Kenya right after this show.
What is your secret to all this success because not any African who goes to the US to sing will get this breakthrough?
You will be surprised I don't have any secrets, it is not even me, all I do is just create the songs and earn the support from my African people. Everywhere we have got success, all that comes from a huge African community because we support each other.
You have the biggest collaborations, are you going to work with any Ugandan artistes to help them become bigger?
I have not had the opportunity to study Ugandan music and the musicians. But currently, we have started a new record label just to promote African artistes all over the world and we have signed Nigeria's 2 Face.
What is your worth and if you had to do anything for charity in Uganda what would it be?
Basically I'm pretty successful, I have to say that. Uganda is definitely some place we will be concentrating on in the future with my foundation called Konfidence. It's a foundation in West Africa where we build schools and supply things for hospitals. I can't give a time frame because Africa is really big but we will come, I promise.
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